The Legend of Zelda: Dawn of Time
by Cayleigh Raine
Summary: During a much-anticipated Zelda race, twins get sucked into the unfamiliar new land of Hyrule. Somehow, they must help save the realm...separated from each other. There are new sights, new friends, new enemies, and new legends
1. Chapter 1

Hi, there. :) You can go ahead and skip straight to the story if you don't feel like listening to me ranting, but I wanted to start off by saying I am not, by any means, a spectacular author of any sorts. I'm fifteen and haven't had that much experience writing stories and such; the majority of what I try to write never gets finished. I hope to change that, and I would really appreciate any feedback! That may be what I need to continue writing (if people like it) since I don't really have anyone to read or critique my stuff to tell me where/how to improve.

Secondly, as you all probably know, I am in no way associated with The Legend of Zelda. (I feel the need to throw that in there, just to make sure no sheriff or anything shows up at my front door to arrest me for stealing any ideas or whatever. It's for sanity's sake—peace of mind. Nothing meant against your intelligence.)

Thirdly, this isn't a short story. So if you're looking for a five paragraph one or something, you _may _want to look somewhere else. :P

I don't want to spoil too much of the story, and I actually want people to wonder and read it, so I won't say much. It's loosely based in the world of Twilight Princess _and _Ocarina of Time. (Yes, the worlds are a bit mixed together. You should figure out why later on.) I'm gonna try to make it as original as possible and not steal a ton of stuff straight from the games. Also, there are two main characters, and the story will be mostly broken down into both of their points of views (sometimes it'll be from others...maybe—I'll see how I'll feel). The main-main character's point of view is in 1st person. The sub-main character's point of view is in 3rd person limited. I think. At least, that's how I'll try to make it, if it doesn't become too much. :] Oh, and they're both O.C.s, and there will be a few other O.C.s as well. Also places/things you've never heard of. SO BE PREPARED.

Lastly—I really hope you like it. Enjoy! :D

Cayleigh~

**The Legend of Zelda: Dawn of Time**

**Prelude**

"Hey, wake up! It's 12:07!"

There was a grumble and a moan as the boy rolled over.

"Did you hear me? I said wake up! Come on, you sleepy-head. Get your lazy butt up!"

The same reply, only a bit louder.

I raised an eyebrow at the lump underneath the blankets, placed both hands firmly on my brother's back, and pushed with all my might. Actually, I could have pushed with the least of my might; the boy was a toothpick, and he went flying.

There was a loud crash as he fell onto the floor. The lamp wobbled on the nightstand nearby, and I leaped across the bed to grab it so it didn't fall on him. I froze and steadied the lamp as my parents angrily stomped their feet on the floor above us as a sign to shut up.

"What the hell, Nelle?" my twin groaned, finally pushing himself into a sitting position as he blinked and shielded his eyes from the light. He glared at me, a deep frown plastered on his face, obviously unhappy with my interfering of his sleep and whatnot.

I disregarded his unpleasant gaze and giggled. "That rhymed."

"Shuttup."

I quickly composed myself and cleared my throat, peering down at him. (That was a first; standing, he towered at least half a foot over me.) "Dear brother, you _do_ remember our plans for tonight, right?" I struggled to not laugh at my cleverly awesome rhyming skills.

His face screwed up as if he really had to think hard about it. After a few seconds his eyes grew wide and his mouth hung open. "Holy magical toast, how the hell could I possibly forget?"

I gave him a quick noogie as I slid off of his bed, grinning. He winced. "Stupid boy. Go get the safe."

"Got it right here," he informed me, rubbing his head after he proudly pulled the steel box out from underneath his bed. Struggling a bit, 'cause he's a freaking weakling, he picked it up and dropped it on the mattress. We collected all of our electronic devices laying around the room—cell phones, iPods, cameras, laptop—and stuck them in the safe.

"Well, Pierce," I said, closing its door, "we now have no distractions. Are you prepared for our Zelda race?" I grabbed my green, off-shoulder, Triforce eagle shirt off of a nearby chair and pulled it over my yellow tank-top in honor of our competition.

"Bring it on, bitch," he replied with a smirk, putting on his own black and green Triforce not-nearly-as-cool-as-mine-but-still-awesome-becuase-it's-Zelda shirt.

I'd like to mention that despite any bickering or name-calling, my brother and I were exceptionally close. (Not in a disturbing, incestuous way, though. Ew. That would be...not cool at all...) It was all horse-play and a continuous game for us. Our parents constantly scolded us for our immaturity, because we were "only a few years from adulthood and should behave better than that". They didn't understand that we didn't want to be adults. We already had to practically fend ourselves, much against our wills. They were always at work, and when they were home, we had to listen to them arguing all the time. Being an adult seemed far from appealing.

"You're such a lovely person."

"Thanks, I know."

Laughing, I set up the Gamecube whilst he set up the Nintendo 64; I was going to play Twilight Princess while he played Ocarina of Time, and we were going to play all day and all night until someone beat one of the games, or gave in—which would be utter ludicrousy (which I'm not even sure is a word) and would result in a serious loss of respect for whomever quit. We would go without food. We would go without drinking. If one of us needed to go to the bathroom, we could lose precious time in saving our Hyrule from the evil Ganondork. (See what I did there? Clever, eh? I enjoy making fun of little—er, big?—Ganny-poo.) So that, too, we would attempt to avoid at all possible costs.

Unfortunately for my brother, he seriously underestimated me. And I was gonna beat his scrawny ass. I rocked so hard at Twilight Princess.

Once we were at the starting screen and had our names entered, we counted down: "Three...two...one...START." We hit the center button on our controllers. From then on, it was ultimate concentration. Neither of us dared to lose to the other. This was going to be the most intense contest of our lives. (Well, that may be a bit of an over exaggeration, but...maybe not...) It was completely silent in our room except for the beautiful musical masterpieces singing from the TVs' speakers.

I often imagined what it'd be like in Hyrule—in Ordon, especially. The smell of the flowers, the touch of the soft grass, the taste of the warm, clean, pleasant air. And right then I thought that I could sense all of it, like the music that Koji Kondo so perfectly composed was actually humming in my ears. The sunlight was just beginning to seep through the window, and a light breeze gently lifted my brown hair around my face. I hadn't recalled opening the window, though, but I was too deeply absorbed in my game to look and find out.

"Hey...Pierce?" I said softly. My voice sounded too loud compared to the previous quietude, and I half expected the scene to shatter when I spoke, but instead my voice resonated like a soft hum as the wind carried it around me.

"Hm?" was the response I got.

"Do you feel like...like..."

"...like everything is real? Yeah," he whispered, finishing my thoughts. Despite knowing what I was trying to say, it was difficult to tell what he was thinking or feeling. He sounded so flat and monotone that I was unsure if he was getting the same vibes as me.

Suddenly, I noticed my arm outstretched towards the screen. It was a strange, compulsive, out-of-mind movement, and I could see out of the corner of my eye that Pierce was doing the same thing; it was like one of those stereotypical, creepy twin-connections things. The air twirled around me like a weak vortex, spinning and spinning and spinning as my fingers brushed against the screen. (It even appeared as if they actually went past it and into the actual television, but that was just beyond insanity.) The controller silently dropped out of my other hand and I closed my eyes, smiling as the air touched the exposed skin on my shoulder, arms, and legs. It caressed my face, almost feeling like a hand, but lighter and gentler.

I swear I coulda died right then. I was so content that the apocalypse could've happened at that very moment and I wouldn't of had a care in the world. Heck, the rapture could've come and put the entire world into complete chaos and disorder and I would still be the happiest person in the whole damned world. I was so beyond ecstatic...words could hardly even begin to describe everything.

I wondered if the same thing was happening to Pierce...if he felt the same joy and tranquility that I was experiencing...

"Nelle?" I heard Pierce say. Physically, he was only a few feet away, but his words seemed to echo from a totally different world a million miles from me. "I...I don't know—" His voice cut off, and a searing pain shot down my right arm from my shoulder to my hand. I was about to let out a cry when—just as suddenly as it all began—everything stopped.

**Chapter 1**

Nelle's POV

I felt like someone just nailed me in the gut. I awoke with a start, sitting up, gasping and coughing for air. I placed a hand on my stomach and let out a deep sigh. _It was just a dream. It was just a dream. It was all just a..._

Oh damn. This wasn't my house.

And those were _not _familiar faces.

Two young women peered at me from a nearby table. One was a brunette, the other a dirty blonde. They looked about in their twenties or so, but I was never good at guessing ages. They had similar features: smooth skin, deep, oval-shaped eyes, small noses...I figured they were sisters.

_Wait...Pierce. Where's Pierce?_

Frantically, I began looking around. The house was small, one room. There was a couch, which I was on, and there were two beds in the kitchen. And the table. That was it. No sign of my brother. At all.

_What's going on?_

One of the women—the blonde—got up and walked toward me. I felt my eyes grow wide as I curled up in a ball against the back cushion. They didn't appear harmful, but I was still scared. "Shh," she hushed, reaching out her hand like I was some sort of animal. "I won't hurt you."

"Where am I? Who are you? Where's my brother?"

She blinked at me before sharing a glance with her sister. "We found you alone. No brother."

My heart dropped into my stomach. "Found me? Found me where? Where am I? Who are you?" I repeated.

"Calm down, calm down," she said gently, kneeling in front of me. "I'm Alana, and that's my sister Liv."

I stared at her for a few seconds. She had a strange accent, one that I'd never heard before. It wasn't heavy or anything. Just...strange. "I—I'm Anielle. You can just call me Nelle," I said nervously.

She smiled warmly. "That's a beautiful name." I saw her sister nod in agreement. "Well, Nelle, dear, you're in Claru Village."

"What?" I said dumbly.

"Claru Village," she told me again. She didn't appear agitated at my seemingly complete lack of intelligence. "We found you at the spring." My face was a question mark. I think she was beginning to catch on that I had no idea what anything meant. "Er...the Ordon Spring? Just west of here...?"

I started having a coughing fit. _Ordon? As in the Ordona Province? But Claru isn't...it wasn't...no. This is a dream. This is all just a dream. If I pinch myself, I'll wake up._

I pinched myself. I didn't wake up.

Alana looked worried. Liv, on the other hand, was staring at me as if I was some sort of alien. And...maybe I was...

It was when I caught her looking at me all funny that she first spoke. "That's an interesting shirt you've got on there. Would you like to tell us where _you_ came from?"

I glanced down. I was still wearing my Triforce eagle shirt. In a (supposedly) Zelda world. But I couldn't tell them I was from a whole nother universe. I mean, wouldn't that screw up fate and stuff? Well, I probably already did that (if all these shananigans were real). But not only that, it could change their entire perspective of life—not to mention make my life a living hell trying to explain anything and everything. "I—I have no idea."

"Aww, poor child," Alana said sympathetically. "You must be starving, though. I'll go cook you some soup. Livvy, go get her something to wear. Verlixa begins tonight, and I think she should go."

"I know, Lana." Liv's voice was hard, and I realized she intimidated me quite a bit. She didn't seem to like me at all. "Come on, kiddo. We need to go out to the attic."

Reluctantly, I got up. She motioned for me to come to the door. I scurried over and she pushed me outside. I stood frozen in awe at what I saw: the house was right by a river of crystal clear water. Just a little ways down was a gentle waterfall, and the earth was dotted with pastel-colored flowers. I didn't see any other houses, so I figured they were behind theirs. I looked up: the sun was beginning to set over the cliff wall. "What's Verlixa?"

"Shhh!" She glanced around before dragging me around to the side of the house where there was a ladder leading up to a door. I was right. There were more houses behind this one. "Go on! Get up there!" A bit shaken, I climbed the ladder and opened up the small door. It was pitch black, but I crawled in a reasonable amount so Liv had enough room to get in. After a few minutes of waiting, she came up with a lantern. I watched as she lit a torch with it, the flames' shadows dancing off her face. "You can stand, you know."

Sure enough, there was plenty of room. I got to my feet and looked around; the attic was a closet.

Liv walked over to the clothes and began scrounging around. "Verlixa is a festival," she began. Her tone was no longer hard and intimidating. In fact, it was really nice. "The five villages in Ordona all come together to celebrate the Goddesses. It's three days of music, dancing, food, love, you name it. It's a time where you can forget about everything going on and just be happy and have fun." The woman paused and sighed. "I'm sorry for how I acted before. I'm just not sure how to handle this. You, I mean. You're just so...strange. Ah—this might do."

She turned around, holding up a strapless, purple, layered chiffon dress embellished with fancy golden embroidery. My mouth formed a small "o" as I slowly walked over to Liv. _Holy damn. _I was never much of a dress girl, but this... "Wow...it's gorgeous..."

She smiled at me. "And it's yours to wear."

"Just like that? I—I couldn't..."

"What, you think you're going to Verlixa in _that_? Ha! You'd better be shitting me," she scoffed before pausing and grinning at me. "Besides, I'd be honored if you wore it."

I blinked. "Eh? Why?"

"Why do you think? I made it!" She flashed me a proud grin. "As strange as you are, and as annoyed when I realized I would have to deal with you for Goddess-knows-how-long, I actually kinda like you. And you're a pretty little thing. You've got the perfect figure, and purple would look stunning on you."

I smiled weakly. It was hard to believe. "Trying to flatter me?"

She smirked. "Is it working?" Liv handed me the silky/satiny dress, her face abruptly growing sad. "Besides, I'll never fit in it again."

_Well that was depressing._ I opened my mouth to say something when Alana yelled, "Soup's ready!" I was glad. Not only was I starving, but I hadn't been entirely sure about what I was going to say to Liv.

After we had dinner, the sisters set up a divider so that I could change. There weren't any mirrors, but I felt beyond beautiful. It reached down to my calves and fit me perfectly, just as Liv had said. When I walked out, they "ooh"ed me. Even though I'd just met them, I felt pretty comfortable around them; they were pretty cool chicks. I still wished that Pierce was with me so that I wouldn't be going to the festival alone, and I wondered if he was okay. All I could do was hope for the best, and head on out to the meadow where Verlixa was held. I would be going alone; the sister's had decided to skip this year.

_I can't believe I'm going to this thing. I hate parties! And it's not like I'll even know anyone. _I sighed and continued following the map that Alana and Liv gave me. _I wish it wasn't so dark so I could, I dunno, see where I'm going? That would be dandy. _As poor as my navigational skills were, I soon found myself on the top of an scarily steep hill, staring down at a city of lights. I could see hundred of figures moving as they danced, hear the upbeat music a band was playing. It was so lively.

Carefully, I began making my way down the hill. I slid a little, almost fell on my butt, and it seemed to take forever until I reached the bottom, but seeing it right in front of me had even more grandeur than from a bird's-eye-view. People were laughing, dancing, singing, drinking—it was a pretty spectacular sight. _Now what? _Awkwardly, I wandered forward, weaving myself through the tents and crowds of people. I didn't feel so pretty anymore. The Ordona girls were flawless with their flow-y dresses and perfect faces. I didn't know where to go. I didn't know what to do.

"...would like all the ladies to start the dance. If you don't know the steps, just follow everyone else!"

_Hey, I'm a lady! I may hate dancing, but it's not like I have anything else to do. After all...I'm in fucking Ordona Province. To be here...this is my dream! _I followed the speaking, making my way through the clusters of people, eventually braking out. There were girls already dancing, picking up their dresses and kicking their feet like a medieval dance. I hesitated for a brief moment, trying to take in as much as I could before deciding to just jump on the bandwagon.

I probably looked like a total fool compared to the other girls, but for not having a single clue about what I was doing, I thought I had it down pretty good.

"Alright-y! Men, it's time for you to find yourself a partner!" I glanced around for a second, trying to find where the voice was coming from.

I almost lost my footing when I did. _Zoras? Hold the phone...is that Lulu? IS THAT THE FREAKING INDIGO-GOS?_ I looked away; if I stared any longer, I would've burned a whole through all of their faces. At the same time.

Without warning, a man grabbed one of my hands and twirled me around. He placed his other hand on my hip. "Hello, darling," he said, flashing a pearly white grin. "How are you doing this fine—"

"Marcelo!"

I turned around to see a young lady beckoning him over to her. Without a second thought, he dropped his hands and walked away. I felt a drop of rain splat against my arm, then another _Screw it. I'm sitting out of this one. I shouldn't be complaining...after all...I'm in Ordona. God—Goddesses—I wish I had Pierce with me. Or...just someone..._

"Care to dance?" Without a look up, I sluggishly shook my head. I felt whoever it was sit down next to me on the grass. "Hey...what's wrong?" I didn't respond. _Like he cares. _"If it makes you feel any better...that's beautiful dress."

I couldn't help it. Right there, next to this complete and total stranger, I began bawling my eyeballs out. Tears were streaming down my face, snot was pouring out of my nose, and I was making some extremely unattractive choking sounds. (Or something. I'm not even sure what they were.) I felt a hesitant arm around my shoulder. "I—I'm sorry...I didn't mean to upset you—"

"No, no, it's not that..." I sniffled, looking up at him. He was a total blur from the tears built up around my eyes. Remembering how hideous I was at the moment, I turned away. _At least it's raining and he can't see how bad it is..._

He removed his arm from around me and, out of my peripheral vision, I saw him get to his feet. Finally realizing how utterly stupid I was being, I quickly called out, "Wait!" He turned around, his face in shadows.

"Yes?"

I bit my lip. "Does your offer still stand?"

He held his hand out to me. "What d'ya think?"

I smiled, reaching out to accept. _I'm so glad I didn't—_

There was an ear-splitting scream. I didn't notice it was myself until I realized I was clutching my right hand to my chest, trying to stop the pain. The boy was crouched in front of me, flexing his own hand. With his other, he lifted up my head and wiped the tears away from my eyes.

It was then that I got my first real look at him. And o_h, Goddesses. If this was real before, I must be dreaming now._

Link. _That is holy freaking mother-of-all-that-is-good-and-pure Link._ He looked a bit different from Twilight Princess. Well, duh. He wasn't animated, and drenched. Also, he was beyond adorable, to say the least.

His sapphire eyes looked at me with worry as I gawked. "You alright?"

"_I'm wayyyy past alright!" _I wanted to say. But I decided to play it cool and go with the, "Yeah, I'm fine, thanks."

"Fine enough to dance?" he said with a crooked smile.

I studied him for a moment. He had a mischievous aura about him, and he was definitely more talkative than I had imagined—not to mention cuter and kinder.

"Yeah, fine enough to dance," I replied, smiling myself.

He grinned. "Good." Once again, he held out his hand. Carefully—just to make sure nothing strange would happen again—I took it. He pulled me to my feet.

"I'm Nelle, by the way," I said.

"Link," he told me as we walked to the dancing circle.

I smiled to myself. _I know._


	2. Chapter 2

To whomever is actually reading this, I'm sorry it took me so long to finish this chapter! I was aiming to get it done a LOT sooner (because it really isn't all that long), but my computer charger stopped working. So then I started writing on my iPod (not the easiest thing to do, btw) when all of a sudden, I'm going to New York! So that was a week that I hardly got to work on it. When I got home, my new charger _finally_ arrived, and then I had to transfer what was on my iPod to the computer. (And I had written quite a bit. At least, it seemed like it.) And then family came for five days and had to watch all the Harry Potters because we're geeks and Deathly Hallows: Part 2 was coming out (which I saw the midnight showing for and was _**awesome**_). Blah blah blah. Phew. SO MUCH UNEXPECTED CRAP. But here it is. Chapter two is finally finite! So I hope you all enjoy! :D

**The Legend of Zelda: Dawn of Time**

**Chapter Two**

Pierce's POV

Pierce creeped along the wall of the castle, attempting to act all ninja-like. _Either this is some extremely vivid and strange ol' dream or Nelle is pulling some kind of sick prank on me. And if she is, she better mark my words—I __**will**__ destroy her._

He hadn't remembered ever falling asleep after that weird episode back in the room. (It's not like he was ever tired—disregarding when his twin first woke him up.) In fact, he recalled nothing, like any memory there was supposed to be had been erased. Then again, Pierce didn't exactly have the best memory in the whole wide world, so it wouldn't of surprised him if he'd just forgotten that part.

"Hey! You! Stop right there!"

Pierce whipped around, shocked that anyone was there. (_Well, it is a castle, so it would make sense that where would be...oh, I don't know what the hell is going on!) _A well-dressed elderly man was swiftly approaching him. The boy blinked, puzzled. He looked rather annoyed, for whatever reason.

"Who do you think you are, roaming the castle gardens? And how did you get in here, anyhow?" the dude demanded.

"The name's Pierce," he said brightly, extending a hand. "And I think I'm just a lost boy wandering though these gorgeous...hedges?" He withdrew his hand; the man was glaring at it. "How I got here, I may never know. Though, my sister may have an idea, wherever she went..."

"There's another one of you wandering though our precious gardens?" the old man cried.

Pierce shrugged nonchalantly. "Dunno. Haven't exactly seen her here."

Examining Pierce from head to toe, the dapper man frowned, making his already wrinkled face look like an elephant's butt. _He's creepy, _Pierce thought. _Maybe he's some sort of pedophile. Maybe he's gonna rape me. Dear God, I don't want to be raped!_

"Where did you say you came from?"

_Definitely could be a pedophile. _"I didn't. By chance, could you tell me where I am?"

"I can't tell if you're being serious or not," the guy said flatly.

"As serious as a cat that's not delirious," Pierce told him with a perfectly legitimate straight face.

The man disregarded his response, glanced him up and down once more, then shook his head. "Come with me, boy."

"Huh?"

"I said, come with me. I'm taking you to the Princess."

"Princess?" He perked up, any thoughts of that man being a sex offender exiting his mind. _Holy mother of all that is freaking awesome. I'm gonna meet a facking princess. She better not be one of those ugly chicks that was somehow born into royalty...ugh. Why did I even let that thought cross my mind? Damn me... _He shook his hair, clearing his thoughts. He still had no idea where he was. As far as he knew, there were no castles anywhere near where he lived. At least, none nearly as grand as this one; it had grey-white stone walls, and the so-called garden (there weren't any tomatoes or strawberries) was so elaborate with its shaped hedges, marble statues of kingly and queenly figures, and practically overflowing with colorful flowers-ness it could've been something from a painting...a very life-like painting. Or something like that.

The man guided Pierce past numerous men holding spears and dressed in chain-mail and armor, holding up a hand as the two walked on by. The boy could feel their piercing gazes hiding behind their helmets, though—like if the moment the old man left him alone they would jump forth and toss him off the castle grounds.

They started walking through an ivy tunnel.

"Hey, man, exactly how much long—" Pierce's jaw dropped to the ground. He was standing in the center of a red and black brick circle, little flowers peeking through the cracks. There were trees growing alongside the castle walls, towering at least a hundred feet into the sky, vines with bright blooming flowers snaking along the ground and up the trunks. It looked overgrown, but well-kept at the same time. Amidst the foliage, there was a single statue of a rearing horse and boy next to a windy-looking staircase.

"You finished gawking yet, kid?" asked the man, who had both hands on his hips and an eyebrow raised. "It's not everyday someone gets to go back here, especially an outsider freak like yourself. After all, it's a back way into the castle. Normally I'd take you through one of the side entrances but—" He paused, all of a sudden looking extremely irritated. "—I just don't want to take the chances of running into anybody, got it?" He turned on his heel and started up the stairs.

"Uh...yeah, sure," Pierce mumbled, following. At the top of the staircase was a wooden door. The spiffy guy ushered him inside, where it was dimly lit by metal sconces. "Is this some kind of tunnel?"

"Yes. But be careful of skulltula webs. They've sort of made a home down here."

_Skulltula...? I feel like I should know what that is...ah, well._

The tunnel was cold. And damp. And long. When they finally reached the exit—which they had to crawl out of—the change from the tunnel to the castle corridor was so drastic that Pierce felt as if he was going to faint; the lights were just too damn bright compared to the dull sconces, and the walls were lines with portraits and paintings,and a plush red and gold carpet spread down the hallway. The man walked quickly, stopping at a rather large door on which he knocked five times.

"Roark? Is that you?" The voice was a distant echo. The man opened the door, revealing a large spiral staircase.

"It is I, my lady," he called up. _Huh...so __**that's **__his name...it's about time I knew it. Well, I suppose I could've just asked...oh well. _"And...I have someone who I believe you should see. I apologize for having no warning, but he just appeared—"

"It's all right, Roark, no need to be sorry! You may come on up. I wish to see him."

"You go first, kid," Roark said to Pierce, motioning for him to go on ahead. Pierce nodded and began climbing the stairs. There were so many it seemed to never end. He counted a total of five-hundred and eighty-three steps, crawling the final sixty-three of them, falling to the floor and panting when he reached the top.

"I worry about him," said Roark sympathetically. Pierce heard a girl giggle. He rolled over, propped himself up on his elbows, and froze as his eyes grew all bulgy and bug-like.

Roark looked from the boy to the girl. "Kid—erm, Pierce—this is the lady, Princess Zelda."

He blinked. _No way. This can't possibly be real life. Wait...skulltula. Right. Those damn spiders. I always hated those things. _She extended a dainty gloved hand. Hesitantly he accepted and she helped him to his feet, where he stood frozen like a dummy. She didn't feel fake. In fact, when he thought about it, none of it felt fake. But she looked different from the Zelda he knew. She looked like...a fusion of the Zelda in Ocarina of Time and Twilight Princess. But younger. Not "Young Zelda" young, but around his own age—somewhere between sixteen and eighteen.

She was also staring at him. Even in her youth, he could see the wisdom radiating in her aqua eyes.

"I found him in the gardens," Roark said, cutting into the silence. "Thought he was kinda queer...obviously not from around here. He didn't seem to know where he was. And...just look at him. You can tell he doesn't belong." _Well now, ain't he just a fine gentlemen..._

The Princess looked at him, smiling slightly. "Thank you, Roark. I'm glad you brought him here instead of sending him to the guards. It was well thinking on your part." The man grinned foolishly. "You are dismissed."

He bowed deeply and headed down the stairs. Pierce heard the door close after him.

"So...Pierce, is it?" Princess Zelda said.

He panicked internally, trying to think of the formalities he should say to a princess. "Yea—I mean, t-that is correct." He paused before hastily adding, "Your highness."

She laughed. "Please, none of that! I get it at least two hundred times a day. Besides, it seems a bit...awkward when you say it." She smiled. "No offense."

"None taken," Pierce replied, sighing in relief.

"Good. Here, we can sit," she said. For the first time since he got there, he actually looked around, and there was a giant freaking fountain in the middle of the room, which seemed totally unnecessary—yet awesome. On the opposite side of the room he spotted a large mahogany desk and bookshelf next to a huge-looking bedchamber and door. Behind the staircase was a very noticeable bath, and next to that was a stone room with a sliding door (Pierce couldn't tell what that was). In front of them was a cozy looking lounge with multiple comfy-looking sofas and chairs. She guided him over there and motioned for him to take a seat. He did, and practically melted into the chair's cushions.

"Pierce," the Princess began. "You were...I had a dream. You weren't in it, per say. But...I think it was about you."

"A—a dream?" Pierce stuttered. _The Princess of Hyrule had a dream about __**me**__?Wasn't it supposed to be of, I don't know...__**Link?**___

"Well, it was more of a vision...but that's beside the point. Listen, Pierce." She paused for a moment, as if trying to collect her thoughts. "I know this is sudden, but even I know that you're not from this world. I'm not sure where you came from, but there's a reason why you're here, right? I think that..." Her voice trailed off.

"Yeah...?" the boy asked.

"I think...I think I need you," she said hastily. "In my vision, there was a foggy darkness. In the distance, I could make out a faint glowing light...and then there were voices. They told me about a boy...a boy from a world of wonders...that he would come to me. They said he was a key in helping flush away the darkness, and that he was crucial to have by my side. I know this must be a prophecy. That...I really do need you...you're only part of the prophecy, but you're my part." Her eyes sparkled as she stared into his eyes. "Will you stay?"

He grinned. "I have no where else to go. Of course I'll stay!" Suddenly, his smile faded.

"What's wrong?" Zelda asked worriedly.

"It's just...I can't believe me," he said, abruptly hating himself. "I'm sitting here in the holy freaking Hyrule Palace and my sister...I pretty much completely forgot about her." Pierce bit his lip. "I know she's okay; I can feel it. But if this really _isn't_ a dream...did I leave her behind? Or is she somewhere here, too? If so, where?" His head dropped into his hands and he massaged his temples with his thumbs.

"Wait...is she your twin?"

Pierce looked up at her. "Yeah, how'd you know?"

The Princess of Hyrule looked thoughtful. "The voices mentioned something along the lines of 'his equal being is the other half'. I'm not entirely sure what it means, but if she's your twin...she would definitely be your equal, right?"

"Well damn, makes sense," Pierce agreed.

She then frowned. "I'm not sure about the whole 'other half' thing, though. It's obvious that your twin would be your other half, but...I think it means something deeper than that." Zelda looked at him, blue eyes twinkling. "You haven't laughed at me yet."

_Huh?_ "Now why in the world would I do that?"

Pierce watched her twiddle her thumbs. "Well, when I tried to inform my father about one of my dreams, he just laughed at me, as did his soldiers that were hanging around. I didn't tell him about this one because I knew he'd do the same thing. But you...you didn't." She took a breath. "I know I'm talking an awful lot, but I have this feeling that I should tell you that dream. If you don't mind, of course?" The boy shook his head; he could listen to her talk all day. Zelda gave him a quick smile. "Five days ago I had the dream. It was more of an out-of-body experience, where I was looking down on Hyrule. It was being engulfed in a dark blanket of fog and flames. Buildings crumbled, children and women were screaming, men were falling, monsters were thriving.

"There's a legend about a golden relic left behind by the Goddesses after they forged the world called the Triforce. It's said it grants whoever touches it their heart's desire, regardless of whether that person's intentions are good or evil. The Triforce was sealed away in the Sacred Realm in order to keep evil hands away from it. The exact location of the Sacred Realm is unsure, but word says it is locked away in the Temple of Time.

"In my dream, I saw a shadow of a man entering what I believe is the Temple of Time. However, no one these days know where that is, either. I suppose that's a good thing, though, because I think that man is here in Hyrule...and he has just sworn his allegiance to my father. His name is Ganondorf, a man of the Gerudo, and is supposed to be their destined king, but I don't trust him at all; he has an extremely dark aura about him, and I believe it was because of him that Hyrule was falling apart. I tried to worn my father about him...and that's when I told him my dream and he laughed." Her face fell as she held her gloved hands to her chest. "Even though it's sealed and hidden, I'm frightened that somehow he'll get his hands on the Triforce and that my dream will come true. The chaos...it was more of a nightmare than a dream."

It was quiet for a few moments before it all began to sink in for Pierce. He knew what it meant, but he wasn't sure what he was to do. This was a whole new deal. He was gonna have to face the fact that it wasn't going to be a nice vacation in the one place he'd always dreamed of going to. Instead, he was gonna have to help save it before that even became an option.

If he lasted that long.

He didn't know how to fight. He'd never held a sword or a gun or even been in a fist fight. The most "fighting" he'd ever done was wrestling with Nelle, and even then he could never win. She was the strong one. She was the fighter.

_But I have no choice but to stay. With Zelda. And I will protect her if it kills me. And hopefully it won't come down to that...but at least I'm mentally prepared for it._

"Zel—P-Princess—" Pierce stammered, still unsure of what to call her. "I...I'll do whatever it takes in my power to help you. I'm not sure how, but I'll figure something out." He smiled weakly.

Without warning, the princess's arms were around him. "Thank you...so much..."

"Are you...crying?" he asked, a bit amazed.

She let go of him, slid to the floor, and turned her head away, trying to discreetly wipe her eyes. "No." It was dead obvious she was bluffing, but he admired her spunk. Turning to him, he could see that her eyes were a little puffy, but she looked at him curiously. "You already knew about the Triforce, didn't you?"

Pierce blinked. "Not that story, but yes, I know of it." He scratched his head. "But how did you...?"

She gave him one of those half-smiles. "The same reason I know that you're not from around here; most people don't walk around with clothes with the Triforce on it, except perhaps the Royal Family."

The boy glanced down at his chest. Sure enough, there was a Triforce printed on his shirt all big and noticeable and stand-out-ish. _Oh. _"Heh. Forgot about that."

There was a loud _slam! _at the bottom of the staircase. Zelda swiftly got to her feet and brushed off her dress as footsteps echoed up the stairs. The two exchanged a confused glance.

"P-Princess." It was Roark, and he was now at the top. His eyes were wild and he was gasping for air. "It's...your father...he...he..."

Zelda's eyes grew, tears building up once again, a hand covering up her mouth.

"No, no, he's alive! But..." Roark clasped his hands together. "But he...he's in the Throne Room. And I think he needs you."

"I knew it," Pierce heard the Princess murmur under her breath. She straightened up and glanced from the man to the boy. In a louder voice, she said, "Roark, you should get Pierce some clothes and show him to the nearest guest room; he shouldn't be seen roaming the castle like that."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Pierce, it's late; you should get some sleep. I'm going to head on down. I...see you." She rushed away.

Pierce stood up. This was too sudden! He wanted to stop her. He wanted to know what she knew. He wanted to help her, like he promised.

But instead, he just watched her disappear. _I don't understand..._


End file.
